Out of My Mind
by garden rain
Summary: Listen carefully. I'm only going to say this once... Yamanaka Natsumi. That's the name of the girl who's going to change this world.
1. Before the Academy

Yamanaka Natsumi.

My name is Yamanaka Natsumi.

I used to be known as Allysha, but I suppose Natsumi isn't too terrible either. I believe at age four is when my new life truly began.

When I was four, I began chakra control exercises.

When I was four, my parents died in the war, leaving me an orphan with no immediate family.

When I was four, a man named Namikaze Minato single-handedly ended the Third Shinobi World War. I knew this man. I knew the Yamanaka Clan. I knew Naruto. I knew every single one of these people. I'd seen them all before.

I'd seen them all in my past life.

Being reincarnated into a 'fictional' world is a little...absurd, but I assure you, it's not exactly a paradise for me either. In just moments, I'd lost everyone important to me, and maybe I was supposed to adapt to this new life, but it wasn't quite working. I had nobody. I was actually adopted by the clan head, Inoichi, since he didn't have a child yet. I suspect he will try to produce a heir soon. A pale blond fangirl he would name Ino.

He taught me chakra control exercises, since I was too young to do any clan techniques. I was supposed to try holding a leaf to my forehead and my fingers, which kept me occupied before I was sent to the academy. I was quickly accustoming to their language, but still getting used to being called Natsumi-chan. I wasn't Allysha anymore. I was Yamanaka Natsumi.

I am not sure if I like this.

* * *

When I was four, they found out that I was a mutant.

My adoptive family seemed to understand my qualities of genius. While the clan head was out doing missions, his wife (she insisted that I call her kaa-chan) would teach me chakra control exercises to help me prepare for the Yamanaka clan techniques. It's already been a few months, and today, I had leaves covering me from head to toe.

Airi giggled at me. "Natsu, you're so funny!" She sat down on the floor in my room. "I think I can teach you a clan technique now."

I perked up instantly.

She smiled gently and pulled out a teddy bear. "Now, try to put your mind inside this teddy bear. I'm sure you can do it."

I nodded and wrapped my chakra around the teddy bear, forming the appropriate hand seal and attempting to put my mind inside the teddy bear and make it stand up.

I succeeded halfway.

I made the teddy bear stand up and walk around, which made Airi smile at the bear. "Good job, Natsu."

"Natsumi's over here," I responded to her from my own body, waving. She froze. "...You're in your own body?"

I nodded.

"How are you controlling the bear?" She pointed a shaky finger at the moving stuffed animal.

"You said to put Natsumi's mind in there. So she told it to move, and it did," I explained. "...Was that wrong?"

She seemed a little shaken up, but gave me a reassuring smile. "No. Normally, Yamanaka lose control of their own bodies while they go inside of the other one. I guess your techniques are...unique."

That's just a nice way of saying 'You're a mutant'.

"Well, let's wait until your tou-chan gets home, hmm?" She messed up my short blond hair, snorting when I wailed in protest. "We can tell him about your achievement."

She played shogi with me until tou-chan came home, and then she said stuff to him in hushed whispers. I didn't bother trying to listen, but they approached me and sat next to me. Airi pulled me onto her lap and stroked my hair.

"Natsu…" Airi began, "How would you like to do what your daddy does?"

"Ninja?" I tilted my head. Airi replied, "No. I mean, being the leader of all the Yamanaka. Doesn't that sound cool?"

...Clan head?

"Not blood born child," I protested, but Inoichi held a finger to his lips. When I quieted, he continued. "You're still our daughter, Natsu. From what your mother told me, you have a unique form of the clan kekkei genkai where you can control things without possessing them."

"...Not good leader," I retorted. "Natsumi wants a little sister."

"Little sister?" Airi appeared to consider it. "Why?"

"Little sister," I repeated. "Natsumi wants a little sister."

The two adults exchanged glances and sighed. "The elders wouldn't approve anyway," Inoichi muttered, and ruffled my hair. "Well, it's fine. Don't worry about it, Natsu. You'll get a little brother or sister soon anyway."

"She will?" Airi wiggled her eyebrows, and Inoichi shoved her face away. "Shut up, you dirty woman."

Airi smacked him. "No naughty language in front of Natsu!"

Inoichi cradled his head and whimpered. I giggled and crawled onto his lap, hugging him. "Tou-chan."

He hugged me tightly, comical tears streaming from his face. "Natsu-chaaan!"

This is...a family?

I didn't think it could be so warm.

* * *

When I was four, I started to adapt to my new life.

In my past life, my 'family' had only been related by blood, if the bruises and cuts on my skin were any indication. My mother was an alcoholic who abused me and her boyfriend did not care, so I was pretty much used to having my head shoved under water until I passed out or the pain of a beating searing across my skin.

This family was different.

We weren't directly related by blood, but my new mother wasn't cruel. She wasn't abusive or cruel or sadistic; she was kind and caring. When I got something wrong, she ruffled my hair and told me to try again. She was always confused as to why I flinched when she lifted out her hand, though.

Inoichi wasn't some couch potato who lazed about in front of the television with a bottle of beer in his hands. He was out most of the day and working hard at the T&I Program. He didn't yawn and tell me to keep your big mouth shut when I made too much noise; he would simply ask me to keep it down a little.

I liked this family.

I liked this family a lot more than I did my last.

* * *

When I was four, I learned that my status as the clan head's adopted daughter didn't sit well with others.

Many respected that Inoichi had adopted me and greeted me kindly in the hallway.

The rest of the adults (and a few of the elders) would accidentally knock me over or spit on me when nobody else was around. Those few also told their children about how I was an outsider and they shouldn't play with me. So their genin children started bullying a four-year-old when nobody was around.

I was used to it.

I was used to being thrown around and pounded, so I just curled up into a ball until it was done. Even if I were old enough to stand up to them, I wouldn't have. They obviously needed to have a punching bag to relieve their stress, like my previous mother. Then, when my adoptive parents asked where I got my bruises, I lied that I had been chasing a butterfly around and fell.

"On the side of your neck?" Airi would ask suspiciously.

"Natsumi is very clumsy. She will try not to next time."

I was just a little angel, so my parents would give me a hot bath, some ointment, and send me to bed early. They were too naïve to keep an eye on me, as I had always insisted that I was fine.

Always.

* * *

When I was five, word had gotten out to the clan that I could control non-living things without sending my mind there.

The people who respected me congratulated me and a few gave me presents.

The others weren't too happy. They chose to ignore my power and focus on one word: different.

I was different. I had a chakra mutation.

They didn't care that I was still a child; the adults and children were jealous. They were jealous that after a tragedy happened to my parents, the clan head comes along and adopts me, to bring me a new lifestyle of 'joy and happiness'.

That's not it, I wanted to tell them. My life isn't perfect either.

 _I'm just like you._

I only did what I always did when they beat me.

I curled up into a ball, accepted it, and cried.

* * *

I don't remember much from the stage past my scandal, just mostly black and blue and red on my pale skin. My clothes to hid them a majority of the time, but sometimes limping or wincing would give away my injuries to my parents. I always assured them that I was fine, so they never went past that.

I think maybe, just maybe, a tiny part of me wished that they had enough time to care for me.

But I knew that I'd never have told anyone. I never told anyone about being beat or hurt. I never told anyone anything about my true self. _You can't burden others with yourself_ , my previous mother used to say whenever I fought back against her. _Just shut up and do whatever helps them the most._

Airi and Inoichi needed their alone time to produce a heir. They also had to manage a clan on their own.

I would not interfere in their life (more than I already had) with all my baggage.

* * *

I remember a certain day when Airi took me outside the compound. It was the first time I had seen the village, and she wanted to take me shopping. Then, we ran into one of her friends and her child.

"Mikoto!"

"Airi! What a pleasant surprise!" The lady seemed to be surprised when she saw me. "I didn't know you and Inoichi…" she wiggled her eyebrows, and Airi groaned. "Don't. And, no, we didn't. Natsumi is adopted."

"G-good morning," I greeted her like a four-year-old would. Mikoto patted my head. "Good morning, sweetie. I was just out shopping with my darling son. You should help Itachi make a friend! How old are you?"

"Natsumi is four," I informed her.

"So is Itachi," Mikoto assured me. "I'm sure you two will get along just fine."

I remembered Itachi as the one who would, nine years later, massacre his clan. I forgot the reason he did it, though.

What I did recall from the anime was that Itachi was a sweet boy, but I can remember and tell you the first thing he ever said to me. He was clutching his mother's dress and peeking out from behind her legs. He said:

"You talk weird."

 _Love you too, sunshine._

Wasn't he just a ball of politeness?

To emphasize my embarrassment, I hid behind Airi and whimpered. She sighed. "Itachi doesn't know how to get the ladies."

Mikoto scoffed. "Please, he'll be a girl magnet by the time he's...what, twelve? Itachi here is a prodigy, you know."

"So is Natsumi!" Airi bragged shamelessly.

"We should arrange study dates for them," Mikoto challenged. "See who's smarter."

"You're on, Mikoto! Tomorrow at noon?"

"Deal!"

The two women shook hands, fire blazing in their eyes. Airi took my hand and stomped away from the Uchiha to shop somewhere else, while Mikoto did the same. I remember Itachi waved at me and I was pulled away by a fuming woman.

"Now, Natsumi, let's study a bit harder for tomorrow, shall we? Sorry, but it'll take up your free time."

"Natsumi doesn't mind," I assured her.

"Really? I made a rival for you instead of a friend, and now you're being pressured to study more…" she looked uncertain.

 _I would've just been hit by some insecure adults and their kids anyway._

"No. Natsumi is happy," I informed her. "She made a friend."

"More like friendly rival," Airi mused, "But Itachi is an Uchiha prodigy. His guidance will be good for your studies."

"She is smarter," I protested jokingly, and the fire went back into Airi's eyes. "Of course you are!" She hugged me tightly. "You're so cute!"

I could get used to this.

* * *

 **I currently have no plans for any pairing, so...yeah. I could let her be or ship her with idk.**


	2. October 10th

As of right now, as any clan seven-year-old, I attend the academy.

But I don't plan to for long.

"You're adorable," Airi hugged me tightly before sending me off. "Have a good day!"

"Goodbye!" I waved at her before running off. The war had just ended, and the village was at peace. With all the free time they had, they had time to do other things.

For the current Hokage, right now was when his his wife was expectant with child. Then, the Kyubi attack would happen.

I arrived at the classroom, early as usual, and headed to my normal seat next to a certain Uchiha. "Good morning."

Itachi simply nodded at me and went back to whatever he was doing.

Our teacher was pretty strict, and he saw Itachi and I as the top two students in the class. We were way ahead of our other classmates, so I was pretty sure that I could graduate early.

After school, I would usually go over to Itachi's house, like I did today. But lately, I've been going there for longer periods of time.

Why you ask?

Mikoto had an adorable baby boy named Sasuke.

I, the baby whisperer, had all of Sasuke's affection, since I played with him more than Itachi did, while Itachi was busy with Fugaku, I harvested Sasuke's love one minute at a time until Itachi got annoyed and snatched the baby from me. We would argue over Sasuke, with him winning only because he was the blood sibling. I would sulk, and Mikoto would comfort me. Then I'd give the cute baby a kiss and go home.

It was like this for a while. I'd gotten used to it.

Then, I'd play with Ino. She was a loud newborn, but adorable anyways. She would always calm down once I rocked her, something even her real mother couldn't do sometimes.

They call me the baby whisperer.

Well, they don't, but still.

Baby whisperer.

One night, when I was rocking Ino in the hallway facing the pond, I felt a shiver go up my spine. I ignored it and assumed it was from the cold, but soon, I heard sounds of destruction. I immediately stood up and scanned the area. High in the sky, I saw red tails lashing around furiously. I froze in terror, but when Ino started crying, it snapped me out of it and I held her tighter. "Shh…"

I ran inside and checked the calendar. October tenth.

 _Shit._

Airi found me. "Natsu, don't leave the house, okay? Don't lose sight of Ino, either." I nodded and she left to help the other clan members. I rocked Ino back and forth, humming a calming song from my past life. Ino's crying, for once, did not subside. I looked outside at the bright moon, as if it were a light through all this terror.

"Natsumi wonders what Itachi is doing right now," I murmured softly to Ino. "Has he calmed down Sasuke yet?"

Ino kept wailing.

"Daddy is out saving the village with his friends," I told her, bouncing her a little. "Wouldn't you like to also do that one day?"

She didn't show any signs of calming down.

"Natsumi would like to be out there, too," I said. "Natsumi want to be useful to the clan...no, _I_ want to be useful to the clan."

Ino didn't stop crying.

"I'm not Allysha, she is Natsumi now," I sighed. "Natsumi needs to learn to refer to herself as I. If she keeps saying Natsumi, she'll never join the ANBU."

Ino's wailing quieted a little.

" _People fall in love in mysterious ways_ ," I sang to her softly, rocking her. " _Maybe just the touch of a hand_ …"

Ino calmed at the tune of her favorite song.

" _Well me I fall in love with you every single day, and I just wanna tell you I am…_ " With Ino quieted, I waited until she was asleep and put her down in her crib. "Good night."

I stared at the clouds of smoke rising over the trees until finally, the tails disappeared. At around midnight, Inoichi came home, and I greeted him. "Was the Kyubi subdued?"

He looked stunned for a moment, but then gave a short laugh and ruffled my hair. "Yes, it was killed, my little genius. You sure figured it out quickly."

"She is smart," I bragged, which seemed to cheer him up. A little normality in this hell, I suppose. He gave me a good night kiss and went to his own room. I looked at Ino in her crib. The little blond was so...tiny. And adorable.

"Don't worry, Ino-chan. I'll always protect you." _I promise._

I gave her a kiss on her nose and went to my own room.

* * *

On October eleventh, the Academy was still open. It seems that nobody knew what happened, and the senseis didn't mention it. They explained that the Fourth had killed a monster that got loose, but in return, the Fourth also died.

That was that.

I never got to meet Minato or Kushina…

"Do you know the details?" I asked Itachi, who shook his head. He replied, "They're hiding something from us."

"Something...horrible was loose last night," I agreed. "Ino wouldn't stop crying for a while."

"So much for being the 'baby whisperer'," he murmured. I huffed and folded my arms. "Well, Sasuke was probably wailing his heart out and you couldn't do anything."

"It's fine," Itachi didn't get visibly offended. _Dammit._ "I'll protect him, no matter what. I promised that to him."

"Me too!" I grinned at him. "I promised to protect Ino."

"You used the proper pronouns," Itachi noticed. "You're finally accepting reality."

 _This kid is way too smart._

"Yeah, maybe," I folded my hands on the desk as the instructor came in. "She won't break her promise."

"Me neither," Itachi returned, glancing at me before returning his eyes to the front of the room.

 _You'll massacre your entire clan. Is all that also for Sasuke?_

 _But he did spare his little brother…_

The classes proceeded as normal, but Itachi and I weren't paying attention (for once). He had many interesting theories about what happened last night until I finally just told him the truth.

"Natsumi thinks that it was the Kyubi."

Itachi turned to me, his dark gaze piercing. "The Kyubi?"

"Since Mito Uzumaki, there's been another jinchuuriki, and I think the beast escaped. But you know…"

Itachi gestured for me to continue.

"Only the Sharingan can control Biju."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "You are implying that the Uchiha did it?"

I nodded, which seemed to tick him off a little. He took a deep breath. "...I cannot believe you of all people do not have faith in the Uchiha."

I thought about little Sasuke. I couldn't imagine him to grow up into someone who would abuse his Sharingan to wreck havoc on his own village. "Surely you saw the tails in the sky. Natsumi's theory is the most logical. Only a Sharingan-user could control a tailed beast. It could've been an Uchiha who defected."

When I said defected, I had all of his attention on me. "Defected?"

"Probably Uchiha Madara."

He gave a little sigh. "Natsu...he's been dead for a while now."

"Uchiha Madara is amazing," I defended him. "He's done things no man has done, and he fought on par with Senju Hashirama. Don't belittle him."

 _Obito's his apprentice, so he's just as amazing._

 _Stupid Itachi._

"...You're very fond of Madara," Itachi said, looking a little confused.

"Natsumi isn't fond of him, she's merely stating facts. Uchiha Madara has reached new heights, he's amazing, and he is powerful enough to control the strongest of the Biju. He's also a lot cooler than you."

Itachi simply sighed, with a tiny amused smile on his face. "You're a Madara fangirl."

"...She supposes that isn't far off the mark."

 _The year's almost over. Itachi is already seven, and he will graduate in January. I must catch up._

 _With Naruto, all the Konoha 12 have been born._

 _The plan is in action._

* * *

"Sandaime-sama, have I told you about Natsumi?"

"She's your adopted daughter. Yes, you've mentioned her before."

"Natsu's seven right now, and when i went home yesterday, she immediately asked me if the Kyubi was subdued."

Silence. Then,

"How did she know?"

"Natsu's a bright girl. I think the secret will be safe with her. She's also close to that Itachi boy, and she could help us gather information to see if the Uchiha truly caused the attack. I believe that we can spare her memories. She will obey orders from me."

"...Very well, but keep an eye on her as well."

"Yes, sir. I won't disappoint you."

* * *

 **So there you have it, Natsumi's third person is simply character development. She's a also Madara fangirl. And thanks to Inoichi, Natsu and Itachi are under surveillance now...**

 **Do you guys ship her with Itachi or Shisui more?**


	3. Promise

On December second, my clan was notified that I had the potential to graduate early and become a genin. Inoichi, of course, accepted, and I was given a headband and a promotion. Like Itachi, I was trained privately by my clan. That was where I discovered my second mutation. Inoichi told me to try and go inside his mind. He showed me how to cover my hand with the appropriate amount of chakra and apply it to someone's mind. "Go ahead and try," he said.

I covered my hand with chakra.

I blinked.

I shook my head and tried again.

 _Well fuck._

"...You're special," Inoichi assured me, seeing my astonished look. "So of course your chakra is different."

Special chakra?

My chakra was _fucking purple!_

"Natsumi is a freak," I said, staring at my glowing hand. Inoichi's eyes softened and he knelt down to my height. "You're not a freak."

"She has a different ability, she has a different speech pattern, she has different chakra, she has different blood," I rattled off the things that was wrong with me, still staring at my purple hand. "She is always the outcast."

"Natsu, don't let a little difference put you down so much," Inoichi patted my head. "I'm sure that you're going to be very efficient with the clan jutsu."

I succeeded in performing the mind-body switch technique. That didn't change facts.

I have _purple chakra._

* * *

When I was eight, I was so busy with training and Ino that I stopped visiting Mikoto.

Well, Airi was teasing me that I mainly visited to see Itachi, but I wasn't.

Once, I bumped into Mikoto on the street, and I was delighted that she had Sasuke with her. the two-year-old toddler could walk already, and he squealed happily at the sight of me. I picked him up and hugged him. "Sasuke-chan!"  
Mikoto giggled. "Nice seeing you, Natsu-chan. How's clan training?"  
"Boring!" I complained. "It's going too well."

She smiled. "You're a little prodigy too, aren't you? Itachi's actually mastered his Sharingan already."

"Three tomoe already?" I asked, surprised. She nodded. "Maybe you two can become chunin together. Why don't you come by anymore?"

"Training," I pouted. "And the clan is probably busy preparing the heir anyway…"  
"Nonsense!" Mikoto grinned. "If Fugaku keeps you out, let me know and I'll ensure that he can never make children again! Come by tomorrow for lunch with Itachi. I'm sure Sasuke could use a friend. Itachi also needs to take a break from training and be a child, anyway."

"Nee-chan," Sasuke grinned at me and slobbered on my shoulder. I kissed his nose and he squealed again.

"Isn't he the cutest?!" Mikoto fawned over her baby son. "His first words were to Itachi. He said, 'nii-san'. He's gonna be a bright one too, I can tell!"

I looked at Sasuke for a second, then nodded. "Natsumi will make time to stop by."

When I paid a visit to the compound, Sasuke was the one who greeted me first. "Nee-chan!" Mikoto nodded in greeting.

I picked him and and rubbed noses with him. "You're so cute~"

"Please refrain from molesting my little brother," a stoic voice said from directly behind me. A cold hand was placed on my brother. I turned around.

"Itachi," I greeted him. Mikoto pouted. "You're so affectionate to Sasuke and that's how you treat Itachi? How do you expect to get married to him?"

"Itachi and I are merely acquaintances." I bounced Sasuke a little. "On the other hand, _Sasuke-chan_ and I will elope together, won't we?"

"E-lo-pe," Sasuke sounded out the word. Then, his dark eyes lit up and he gave me a grin. "Elope!" He parroted.  
"Stop teaching my brother bad language," Itachi's eyebrow twitched, a sign that he was annoyed. He snatched Sasuke back from me.

Mikoto seemed pleased at this development. "Natsu-chan, please come help me make onigiri in the kitchen."

I stuck out my tongue at Itachi and followed Mikoto to the kitchen.

While we were making the onigiri, she started a conversation. "Natsu-chan, thank you for coming by today."

"Not big deal," I replied, tossing the rice around.

"Itachi is always so stoic, like his father forces him to be. He was only able to take a break today because you were coming over."

"He needs a life?" I questioned. Mikoto giggled. "I suppose he does."

 _Fugaku clearly favors Itachi, though, so I doubt he'll ever get a life._

"Do you prefer Itachi or Sasuke?" I asked her, and she shrugged. "I love them both equally. I can't pick a favorite child."

"What if Itachi...say, did something horrible and unforgivable?" I interrogated. She blinked, surprised, but then sighed. "I don't know why you're asking this, but...if Itachi did something like that, I would try to understand why he did it. Despite what Fugaku seems like, I know he'd try to do the same. Itachi has a kind heart."

 _You won't have time to understand a sword through your bodies._

"Why did you ask that question?" Mikoto inquired.

"Natsumi was wondering how much a mother loved her children." I lied on the spot.

"Natsu-chan…" Mikoto stopped making the food and knelt down, facing me. "Airi is your adoptive mother, but she loves you like she loves Ino. I know that for sure. And if you did something terrible, I'm sure she would try to understand too - if you just gave her some time."

 _Medicine can heal wounds of the skin, but time can heal wounds of the heart…._

 _I should be a philosopher._

"Natsumi- _I_ understand," I corrected myself.

Mikoto gave me a bright smile and handed me the plate of onigiri. "I'm glad you understand. Now, let's have tea together."

We sat down with the food and chorused, "Itadakimasu!"

Before we began, we were interrupted by a cheerful voice. "Hello!"

A boy about Itachi's age with curly hair and long eyelashes practically bounced into the room. "Ooh, onigiri! Your rice balls are the best, Aunt Mikoto!"

Mikoto smiled at him. "Thank you, Shisui-kun."

 _Uchiha Shisui._

 _The Kotoamatsukami wielder._

"Who's the little lady?" Shisui nodded in my direction.

Putting on the shy façade, I huffed. "You're not even much older than Natsumi."

"You call yourself Natsumi?" He sat down next to Itachi and squeezed Sasuke's cheeks. "You're a strange one."

 _Itachi's rubbing his weirdness off of you, Shisui..._

I pulled Sasuke onto my lap and away from Shisui. "You're just like Itachi," I pouted. Sasuke gave me a sloppy hug, and I hugged him back. "At least Natsumi has Sasuke's love,"

"He loves me more," Itachi droned. I stuck out my tongue at him. "Sure."

Shisui laughed. "No, of course Sasuke loves me most! I give him all my time and affection. Plus candy."

I rubbed noses with Sasuke. "So, Sasuke, who do you love most?"

He squealed and laughed.

"That means Natsumi," I translated.

"Shut up." Itachi stole Sasuke back.

Shisui gave a fake dramatic gasp. "The prim and proper Itachi actually said something naughty!"

Mikoto gave a giggle and picked up her youngest son. "It's time for Sasuke's nap."

I smiled at Sasuke. "See you soon, adorable!"

After Mikoto left the room, I turned to Shisui and Itachi, who seemed to be having the time of their lives.

 _They're so happy._

I nibbled on an onigiri, lost in thought.

 _They didn't deserve their end._

 _Neither of them did._

 _They neglected their own emotions and put the village before themselves._

 _...I'll protect them._

"Ne, Shisui-san, do you know how to swim?" I asked randomly. He blinked at me. "...Yes, why?"

"Just wondering." I focused on my onigiri again.

"Itachi, your girlfriend is weird!" Shisui complained.

"Natsumi is not my lover," Itachi denied.

"Natsumi will elope with Sasuke. Sasuke promised her," I corrected Shisui.

"You will not be doing anything with Sasuke," Itachi replied calmly.

"Natsumi has all of Sasuke's love. You cannot change that."

"Oi, oi, don't leave me out of it," Shisui grinned, fire in his eyes.

"It's on," the three of us chorused.

Upon Mikoto entering the room, we returned to being adorable and innocent children.

 _I won't let the horrible things happen to them._

 _I promise._


	4. Satoru-kun

Age 9

"Yamanaka...hana?" I asked.

"We run the flower shop," Airi confirmed. "And I think it's time you learned how to be a lady. You weren't at the academy long enough to take the kunoichi classes, anyway."

"She-I will be fine," I tried to disagree, but she insisted. "I actually know a friend of mine has a daughter your age with the name...Hana. Inuzuka Hana."

"Inuzuka...dogs," I replied intelligently. Airi nodded. "The clan specializes in training with their ninken partners. Hana herself actually has three of them."

 _Not really interested._

"Who will keep Ino company for the day?" I asked her, changing the subject. She thought about it. "Hmm...maybe I'll ask one of the clanswomen to babysit Ino for the day."

"Playdate with Sasuke," I suggested. Airi's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea!"

* * *

"Itachi is planning to take next year's chunin exams," Mikoto informed me. "Fugaku approves. He wants Itachi to join the Anbu, too."

 _Spilling your plans to another clan...not very smart, Miko-chan._

"Itachi is smart," I agreed, watching Ino and Sasuke roll around each other and babble in their baby language.

"You could take it next year, too," Mikoto assured me. "You're a smart girl. You wouldn't fail if you tried your best."

"She- _I_ will consider it," I promised. Mikoto smiled and patted my head. "Of course you will." She sat seiza next to me, looking at Ino and Sasuke. "What if you marry Itachi and Ino marries Sasuke and we all get adorable babies?"

"Fugaku-sama would never allow that." I dismissed that option and stood up. "It's time I took my leave. I need to get back to study flowers and some other useless stuff."

Mikoto giggled. "Would you like Itachi to walk you home?"

"It's fine-"

"I insist! _Itachi, get over here._ "

Itachi ran into the room. "Yes, mother?"

"I want you to walk Natsu-chan back to her house."

"But I-"

"You'll do it... _won't you?_ " Mikoto grinned, her voice dripping with malice. A bead of sweat rolled down Itachi's face. "Yes, mother."

"Ino," I called over to the little blond, who perked up even more at the sound of my voice. I gestured to the door, and the little genius, understanding that we had to leave, babbled something to Sasuke and he nodded, grinning with a few teeth. Ino crawled over to me, and I picked her up. "Good night, Mikoto-san."

"Have a lovely evening!" Mikoto giggled again. Itachi seemed to have suppressed an eye roll and opened the door for me. "Let's go."

I glanced back at Mikoto, who seemed pleased at this development.

 _I pity you, Itachi._

I picked up Ino and helped her get comfortable for a nap. "Sorry you had to do this."

He walked beside me in the dark streets, illuminated by the street lights. "It's fine. I like walking with you."

 _Wait for it…_

"If I didn't, you'd probably lose Ino or get lost in front of your compound," Itachi continued. I stuck out my tongue at him, since nobody knew what the bird meant in this world. "You always accompany your compliments with insults that destroy one's ego."

"...I didn't mean to offend you," Itachi replied, perplexed. I would have facepalmed if Ino wasn't already fast asleep on my shoulder. "Na- I hate you. So much."

Itachi allowed a quizzical look on his face. "...But I never meant to offend you. I was only speaking my mind."

 _Mental face-palm._

"When you speak your mind, you need to pick out what to say before you insult others unintentionally. Some people might take the violent approach to respond to your words."

Itachi recoiled a bit at the mention of the word violence. "...Noted."

Not much of a conversationalist...

"You're taking the chunin exams next year," I asked, more like stated.

"I am," Itachi confirmed. "Tou-san said that i was strong enough to pass whatever ordeals they would put me through."

When I only nodded, Itachi asked, "will you be taking it next year?"

"...I don't know," I replied. _I barely managed to stop myself from speaking in third person..._ "Mikoto-san said I'd be able to. Well, then again, she also said that you had emotions."

Itachi allowed the barest hint of a smile to come onto his face. "So that's your excuse for not being strong enough?"

"Wha- _how dare you,_ " I said with mock anger. "Why, I could probably beat you in both ninjutsu and taijutsu!" My shouting caused Ino to wake up and start wailing.

Shit.

"Shh, shh, my little boar…" I cooed, and her wailing quieted a little. "S-sing," she sniffed.

Sing was one of the words she knew how to pronounce fluently, since I sang to her all the time.

"Later," I answered, but she clung onto her shirt. " _Now,_ " she demanded. Whenever she said that, it became clear just how much I had spoiled her.

I picked her up again. "You are one troublesome little angel, aren't you?" I sighed. "What would you like to hear?"

"Fire," she said in English. Itachi didn't seem to catch on, thinking it was baby babble.

" _Now I see fire, inside the mountain…_ " I sang softly, and she immediately calmed down and fell asleep.

 _This child can sleep anytime, anywhere._

"You picked up on her baby language," Itachi said, seemingly amused.

 _He doesn't know better._

"...We're here," I ignored his statement. "Thanks for walking...me home. Bye. Good night. Get out." I proceeded entered the compound and slammed the sliding door shut behind me.

Airi came out to greet me. "Natsu-chan! Did Ino get along with Sasuke?"

"Ino and Sasuke are good friends now," I confirmed. _Ino won't be a fangirl in the future._

"Sasuke-chan is such a cute little boy...maybe he can marry Ino in the future," Airi giggled.

"A blond Uchiha," I imagined Sasuke with Naruto's blond and almost smiled. "...Daddy would never allow it."

"Probably not," Airi agreed, carefully taking the sleeping Ino from my arms and winked at me. "Thanks, _baby whisperer_."

I blinked.

 _Mission accomplished._

* * *

The next day, I brought up the idea of entering the chunin exams to my 'parents', who supported me, saying that I would definitely pass.

"Maybe show that Uchiha friend of yours what Yamanaka can do," Inoichi suggested. "Oh, by the way, has Itachi-kun mentioned anything about the attack three years ago to you?"

 _Not particularly since the day after…_

"Not really," I replied.

Inoichi didn't give up. "Did he say anything at all?" He tried again.

"...He said that he didn't believe that his clan did it," I returned. I noticed Airi glare at Inoichi. "Stop interrogating her," she hissed, but I still heard her.

"Thanks for telling me, Natsu," Inoichi smiled, patting down my wavy hair. "You can go play now."

I dismissed myself with a bow and headed out into the hallway. Sensing a presence, I immediately ducked to barely miss a leg whizzing over my head. I spun around with a kunai, but lowered it after seeing who had attacked me. "You're so persistent, Satoru-san."

Said blond growled at me. "You're resisting now, huh, _Natsu?_ " He aimed a punch at my ribs, but I caught his fist and kneed him between his legs. He crumpled to the ground.

"Natsumi's been off the radar of cruel adults since Ino's birth three years ago," I planted my foot on his head and shoved his face to the ground. "But a few children still chase Natsumi and intend to take out their daily fury on her. Why?"

 _If Natsumi herself had to take this abuse, her self-esteem would be non-existent._

Fortunately, I had to deal with this in another life as well.

"...Because you're so damn perfect!" Satoru appeared behind me, leaving a log under me. He pressed a kunai to my throat. "You get adopted by the clan head and become a prodigy, hanging out with the Uchiha...you're so flawless, dammit, that I can't stand you!"

"...You're jealous," I realized. He blushed, but didn't deny it. "S-so what if I am?! Huh?!"

"You're jealous that everything worked out for Natsumi, so you're envious of her, so you try to boost your own ego by beating me and convincing yourself that you're stronger than her." I concluded, and elbowed his stomach, snatching his kunai out of his hand.

He recovered quickly. "Fine! I'm jealous, and what about it? You didn't need to lift a finger, and Lady Luck adores you...I had to work hard to become chunin! I heard that you're taking the chunin exams next year!"

"How did you hear that?" I asked, dodging a punch and trying to sweep out his legs from under him.

"The brat Itachi is taking them next year. Of course you'd tag along, you two are practically married already!" He managed to catch me off guard and leave a fist imprint on my cheek, sending me flying backwards. I winced and clutched at my wound, looking up at him and trying to keep the tears out of my eyes.

He looked faintly guilty, but he kept advancing. "I can't stand you, you arrogant, selfish, evil, demonic, no-good little brat…!" He took out a kunai and I squeezed my eyes shut, but heard it embed into the tree behind me. I opened my eyes and looked up at him, who looked frustrated. "Why won't you fight me back?! Am I not worth your time?"

"You're being foolish," I stood up and leaned on the tree. "Satoru-san, how old are you again?"

"Th-thirteen," He replied, still trembling with...frustration? Anger?

"You must have better things to do than to see a younger girl as a rival," I walked past him. "I have other things to attend to, so-"

"Natsu!" He called. I stopped, not looking back. "Yes?"

"..." he mumbled something. I turned around, putting a hand behind my ear in the universal speak up sign.

"Sorry!" He yelled, then shrank back down and blushed.

Now that I look closer, he has nice blond hair and blue eyes...and the way his blush paints his freckles red is pretty cute, too…

 _CODE RED! HORMONES RAGING...CODE RED! CODE RED!_

"Don't worry about it...Satoru-kun." I waved goodbye and he looked so relieved that I almost glomped him.

"Wait!" He said again, and I sighed with mock exasperation. "What now?"

"You, uh...wanna spar sometime…?" He asked shyly, probably not knowing any way to talk to girls beside aggressively.

Today's Thursday, so... "I'll be free Saturday," I offered, and he nodded. "So…?"

"Of course she- I will. Now, catch you later!" I flickered away in a swirl of leaves.

 _I really need to learn to do it with flower petals._


	5. Natsumi is Natsumi

Age 10

"I heard that you'd signed up for exams!" Satoru grinned, dodging another kunai. "They're coming up tomorrow...you sure you're up to it?"

"Of course she is," I scoffed, dodging a punch. "Yamanaka Natsumi is never unprepared for _anything._ "

"Eh," Satoru blocked my incoming fist. "Let's take a break."

I nodded and held out two fingers. He took them in his own, and we sat down under a tree. He began chugging his water bottle, then wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "Man, who knew fighting a little genin girl could be so tiring?" He laughed. "Well, you'll become a chunin by the end of those long-ass exams, won't you?"

I nodded. "Long and cold exams, too. They're being held in the bloody mist."

He studied his nails. (Despite his rough and unruly appearance, he was surprisingly girly, and enjoyed playing dress-up with Ino.) "And you're not afraid that the Kiri-nin will whip you?"

I grinned. "Natsumi is a Yamanaka! She won't lose that easily!"

The older boy made a face at me. "What's with all the enthusiasm?"

"Because!" I pointed to myself. "Natsumi is positive about _everything!_ "

He messed up my hair. "Well, I guess at this point, I can only cheer you on," he stood up. "Why don't we get some snacks?"

"She's leaving the bill with you, senpai!" I cheered. "She will take advantage of this while she can."

Satoru bit the inside of his cheek, like he often did when he was about to rip someone's head off. He said nothing and instead, trudged out of the yard with silence.

I wordlessly followed him, checking on the bruise I'd gotten from the punch he delivered on my ribcage.

* * *

"Wait here," Satoru instructed gruffly, probably because he had to pay.

He was like Kakuzu. Stingy with his money. Normally, he wouldn't spend it on others, but I'm special.

Stationing myself exactly where he told me to stay, I glanced around the busy street. Scanning the crowd for familiar faces, I found none, but I did find a lot of... _judgemental expressions._ And they were all directed at a child

With the Uchiha crest on his back.

I, instead of stepping in, decided to listen to what some of the civilians were saying about the lost child.

"-full of traitors-"

"-they're trying to destroy our village! We need to attack first-"

"-should have gotten rid of them a long time ago-"

 _The discrimination against the Uchiha are going strong_.

The child's mother quickly came out of the store, grabbed her child's hand, and led him away in a haste. The distasteful murmurs of the crowd followed them all the way out of the busy street.

"I'm done," Satoru grumbled from behind me. "Let's go somewhere."

"I know just the place!" I pointed to the Hokage Mountain.

The brunette only rolled his eyes. "Is that a challenge?"

"And what if it was?"

Silence…

He coughed awkwardly. "Uh, I mean, if you'll stop nagging me, I'll do it. Geez." He did a squat. "You ready?"

 _Tsunderes..._

"Yeah!" I cheered.

"3...2...1...GO!" We began racing toward the mountain.

Peace begins with a smile.

* * *

The view from a mountain is amazing.

You can see everything beneath you and so much more under the horizon.

Of course, it's a nightmare if you're afraid of heights.

"So," Satoru closed his eyes and sat down on the Nidaime's head. "What did you want to talk about?"  
"Why would you suspect that?" I asked.

He opened one eye to look at me. "You didn't?"  
"I did," I confirmed. I sat down next to him and stole a piece of daifuku. "Konoha has been bustling."

"Well, I guess we're still cleaning up from the Kyubi attack," he offered, not meeting my gaze.

"It's obvious that every civilian suspects the Uchiha of doing it."

"It is."

"You were told something, weren't you."  
"And if I was?"  
"I would want you to relay that information to me." I said, meeting his hard stare.

We had a staring contest. His eyes narrowed, as if to say back off.

I gave him a confident smile. _I will get to the bottom of this._

After a few more seconds, my eyes got too dry and I blinked. "Ugh!" I shifted away from him and blinked heavily, tears rolling down my cheeks. "I won't give up!"

"...I'll tell you anyways," Satoru decided. I immediately smiled brightly. "You have _allll_ of Natsumi's love, Satoru-kun!"

"What, I don't have all of your love?" he asked, seemingly only half joking. I frowned. "What?"

He rolled his eyes again. He seemed to like doing that a lot. "Natsumi is always positive. Natsumi is never unprepared. Natsumi wants to get something to eat. But you are determined," he said.

"...What does that mean?"

"Stop saying Natsumi this, Natsumi that," Satoru ground out, almost yelling. He took a deep breath and calmed down. "You are Natsumi. That is a fact."

 _You are Natsumi. That is a fact._

"...Dammit," I mumbled. "Dammit."

"What?" he put his hand to his ear.

"...Just tell me what you were told." I decided to say.

He smiled. "I'd be happy to tell you! So, I heard from dad that…"

Be yourself before you forget who you really are.

Who...am I?

* * *

Identity crisis.

It's not an uncommon psychological phenomenon, but I hadn't experienced it before.

"Failure to achieve ego identity during adolescence." To me, it wasn't a case of bad puberty, but a case of literally _having been two people._

To put it simply, it was like standing in front of a mirror, but your reflection didn't copy your movements.

It wouldn't necessarily do the opposite of what you outwardly did, but it wouldn't correspond with your movements. When you stick out your tongue, your reflection would stick out their middle finger. When you shake your head, your reflection would nod and look excited. When you laugh, your reflection would roll their eyes.

One of you is seen all the time.

The other is seen only when you go somewhere specific...in this case, a reflective surface.

But both of you are the same person.

I am Natsumi, and Natsumi is me.

But Natsumi is 'kind', 'caring', and 'talented'.

I'm just...me. Another face in the crowd.

But Natsumi is Natsumi.

And I am me.


	6. Distance

**Education is beautiful**

 _Age 10_

Natsumi is Natsumi.

Frustrating concept.

 _I_ am _me._

But Natsumi is another person.

 _I_ am not _Natsumi._

When I wave goodbye to my adoptive parents and kiss Ino on the forehead, that is Natsumi's love for her family, not mine.

When I walk down the streets of Konoha, the heat of the sun creeping into my skin. I smile at familiar faces and try to avoid unfamiliar ones, because I don't want to get any more involved.

Natsumi would've tried to befriend everybody that she crossed paths with, just because she had a kind heart. She would've been brave enough to ask to help that old lady carry her bags, kind enough to ask if the boy who fell was okay….perhaps even give him a piece of candy for comfort.

But _I_ was too shy to help them.

Without even thinking anymore, my feet take me toward the Uchiha compound. I'm now a familiar face in the streets, even with my pale features contrasting their dark ones. Some elderly even smile and strike up friendly conversations with me.

I, of course, return the gestures, but only politely, because I was too shy to continue any conversations with people I wasn't close with.:

When I reached the clan's main building and was kindly let in by Mikoto, I politely removed my sandals and placed them neatly next to each other by the door.

Would Natsumi have carelessly thrown them off and ran to Sasuke?

As of now, Itachi and I are sat across from each other, while Sasuke is happily in my lap. Even at four, he's able to say a few things already.

"Natsu-nee-chan!"

I am very proud that he can say my name already, but it isn't all that special when you hear him squeal

"Nii-san!"

With a voice full of love of happiness and joy that he only ever directs towards his older brother.

Sasuke giggles.

I hug him tighter.

Itachi's unfriendly stare narrows. "Please release my brother."

I stick my tongue out at him. "Natsumi doesn't want to. He's very cute."

My love rival tenses. " _Natsumi_ should kindly return the boy she is suffocating to his rightful place."

I smiled. "Where would that be?"

He sat up straighter and smiled triumphantly. "In his older brother's arms."

Sasuke started laughing, then squealed and returned my embrace. I raised a brow at Itachi. "He doesn't want to…"

Itachi seemed to have enough of this and impatiently asked, "Sasuke, do you love _her_ more or _me_ more?"

Our object of affections happily replied, "Nii-san!"

That was my defeat, so I reluctantly released Sasuke and let him crawl into Itachi's arms.

But as the saying goes, "You must lose a battle to win the war."

 _Mission failed...we'll go next time._

I pouted. "Well, shouldn't you be _training,_ Itachi? For the chunin exams."

He stopped bouncing Sasuke like he was still a baby and had a thoughtful look on his face. "...Should I?"

 _Oh boy._

"The exam is coming up very soon, Itachi…" I sighed and folded my arms, but immediately unfolded them again.

 _Folding your arms is rude and unladylike._

"Ah." He put down Sasuke, who gave an adorable pout, and poked his forehead. "Well I'll be going then."

"Can Natsumi come along?" I piped up, getting up as well.

He tilted his head to the side. "...Of course. We have some things to discuss anyways."

* * *

When we went to the usual training ground, I wasn't surprised to see that Shisui was there already, but Itachi was. He blinked. "Shisui? What are you doing here?"

Shisui turned to us with a big smile. "Natsumi-chan! Itachi-chan! I was just training!"

Itachi continued to look puzzled. "I thought you said you had something to do."

Shisui only sweatdropped. "I _asked_ you to train with me, Itachi-chan, but you weren't even _listening_ to me? That hurts…" He clutched his chest and fell on his back, pretending to writhe in pain.

"Natsumi got him here!" I cheered. "Shisui doesn't have to be sad anymore!"

Said person immediately cheered up as well. "Yay! Natsumi-chan and I have gathered Itachi-chan! Now we will all train together!" He sat up with a sunny grin.

Itachi stiffened a little, then relaxed again.

Maybe that's a heir's version of a sigh.

"Shisui...we can train after a bit," He said. "There's a few things we should discuss first."

He took us both by surprise, but his cousin was the first to react.

"EHHH?!" Shisui scrambled to his feet and placed his palm over Itachi's and his own forehead. "Are you okay, Itachi? You _never_ turn down a chance to train!"

Itachi pushed him off, looking mildly annoyed. "I'm serious...we should discuss the exam first. We can't charge in there like wild animals and expect to overpower everybody else."

Shisui and I exchanged glances, then looked back at Itachi.

I spoke up first. "You? Doubting your mental capacity? You're making Natsumi feel bad…"

Shisui nodded along quickly. "Hey, Itachi, are you _sure_ you're fine? You're not feeling under the weather or anything?"

"The weather is beautiful today," Itachi returned, sitting down with his legs crossed. I looked up and had to agree.

"The skies are bluer and the clouds are fluffier than usual," I noted. Shisui sighed and sat down, and I hurried to sit down next to him with my legs tucked under me. Itachi scooted over so that we sat in a circle. "I know I rarely skip a chance to train, but this is serious. My father told me the exams would be held in Kiri this year."

 _Kiri?_ I continued listening anxiously.

"...And Kiri is nicknamed the village of the bloody mist," Shisui caught on to why Itachi was so sullen. "Who the _hell_ let them host the exams?!" He pounded his fist into the ground.

I tried to calm him down. "The five great villages all take turns fairly, remember? Surely they wouldn't try anything with participants from many other villages there…"

Itachi shook his head, meeting my worried gaze head on. He said gently, "Maybe you still don't understand? Kirigakure is notorious for _killing_ their own children...it's not like any test we've taken in Konoha. Get that through your head, Natsumi…"

Shisui decided to cut to the chase. "I don't think you should take this exam."

"Natsumi understands!" I protested. "She will try her best anyways, to try and become a chunin with you two."

"You could _die,_ " Shisui says.

"She will try her best," I repeated, letting our gazes meet. "Natsumi _has_ to take this exam."

He raised an eyebrow, obviously unimpressed. "Oh yeah? And why would she _have_ to?"

 _To prove that I'm strong. To prove I didn't get here with connections. To prove I can do something useful that can benefit others around me!_

I stayed silent.

 _...But who will I be proving it to?_

Itachi and Shisui exchanged glances and nodded to each other before Itachi said firmly, "It's too dangerous for you to go."

"Natsumi will be fine." I said firmly, nodding. "She will go and come back safely, chunin or not."

Shisui said impatiently, "You're not _going._ Wait another year, maybe the exams will be in Suna, or Iwa... _anywhere_ besides a place that could put you in danger."

I clenched my fists and put them on my lap to try and maintain my calm. "The exams are _supposed_ to be dangerous! If Natsumi can't handle the threat of death, she shouldn't be a ninja. She _will_ take the exams."

Itachi began to look uncomfortable with his two peers arguing. "Natsumi...if the exams are taken in teams, then it would be safer. But in Kiri, they'll probably make us fight alone so it's easier to... _defeat,_ us. We're only concerned about your safety."

I was done listening to them, because I knew if I continued listening to them, I would cave in and just stay home while they went to take the exams. While _I_ wanted nothing more than to be safe,

" _Natsumi_ doesn't want that! She's grown stronger already. She wants to stay with her friends."

Shisui seemed to snap at that, and jumped to his feet. "Ugh! If you're training and fighting because you think this is just a game, you haven't grown at all mentally...you're still just a little girl," he spat. "You think your life is something to throw around? Maybe you should become more mature _mentally_ before you take these exams...you're clearly not _grown_ enough to make logical decisions. Let's go, Itachi."

Reluctantly, Itachi got up to follow Shisui, leaving me behind. I waited until they left my chakra sensing range before letting my tears fall.

Both Natsumi and I are very sensitive to words, after all.

I held up a hand and surrounded it in chakra, watching it glow a lavender purple. It calmed me and unnerved me at the same time, to see such a beautiful but out-of-place color.

What Shisui said...is that how others saw me?

Weak? Immature? Annoying?

I fell onto my back and watched as the sun painted the sky orange and pink before Satoru found me and took me home.


	7. Friend

_Age 10_

It's the chunin exams.

Shisui and Itachi aren't keen on me going, so they've decided to ignore me.

How nice.

But at least I still had a friend on my side: Satoru.

His big, playful grin shakes me from my thoughts. "Natsu~ Where are you?"

I blinked. "...Natsumi is here," I stood up straighter, trying to demonstrate my mental presence.

We were at the entrance of the village. Unsurprisingly, not a lot of people wanted to send their kids to exams in the Bloody Mist, right after a great war and disaster. So it was only me, Shisui, Itachi, and Satoru. And Satoru was already a chunin, so he wasn't even _coming_ with me.

There is also this girl named Inzuzuka Hana. She didn't seem interested in talking to any of us; focusing completely on her three dogs. Ninken, probably, since she was from the clan that specializes in them. However, it _did_ take me by surprise that she had _three._

It was also surprising that Nara Shikaku, Uchiha Fugaku and Yamanaka Inoichi were the jonin who were to escort us there. Shikaku and Inoichi stood on one side of the gate murmuring to each other, while Fugaku seemed to be lecturing Itachi and Shisui on the other.

Satoru waved his hand in front of my face. "Natsumi~ Satoru-onii-chan is lonely~ stop wandering off to other realms!"

We were both sitting on a bench not too far from the gates, but distant enough that I couldn't hear the adults' conversations at all.

"...Natsumi was in another realm," I confirmed, his contagious grin spreading to my face as well.

"Well, whichever one you go, I'm going," Satoru positioned himself behind me and wrapped me in an embrace.

"...She wants to say _gay,_ but this is not." I tried to pull his arms away from their spot under my chin. "Did Sana reject you again? Stop confessing to her…"

"No…" He rested his chin on my head. "Life just hit me extra hard today...I'm gonna miss you."

What he just said was completely relatable, so I stayed silent and loosened the grip I had on his arms.

"Oi! Satoru! Stop flirting with my daughter!" Inoichi noticed us and yelled loudly from the gates. Everyone who was gathered turned to look at us and snickered. Shikaku rolled his eyes a little.

Shisui seemed a little annoyed, which was weird, since he never shows any emotion but happiness.

Itachi glanced in our direction and returned to talking to Shisui, who didn't tear his gaze from us. I felt Satoru's chin move, and Shisui narrowed his eyes and turned away sharply.

I half-heartedly tried again to tear his grip away from me. "What did you do this time…?"

I felt him grin. "Just stuck out my tongue at him. For once I got that kid jealous of _me_...thanks, Natsu." He let go of me and ruffled my hair.

 _What a spicy meme_

Sensing a new presence, I jerked my head to the sudden appearance of the person we were waiting for, but my eyes widened at who it was.

"Sorry I'm late," he said, but didn't sound sorry at all.

"Let's get going now!" Fugaku said impatiently, going ahead. Itachi and Shisui hurried ahead with him, not sparing a glance at me.

It hurt a little, but when Satoru stood up suddenly and pulled me up with him with a grin on his face again, I forgot all about it and smiled back.

When I walked to the gate, I saw coaches there, and they were fairly large with two horses each. The village had provided us with two.

I hesitantly walked up to Inoichi and tugged on his pant leg, and he squatted as low as he could, but I still had to pull him a little lower to whisper into his ear. "Can Natsumi play with the horses?"

He grinned and said "of course!" at the same time Shikaku said "absolutely not."

Inoichi pouted at his long-time best friend. "C'mon, Shikaku! How'd you even hear that anyway?"

Shikaku glanced at me with playful scrutiny, but turned his gaze back to my surrogate father just as quickly. "That little minx never has anything good planned."

Shikaku used to be very fond of me, as if I was his own daughter. Maybe he wanted a daughter of his own? But after Shikamaru was born, he began to get more distant from me, but he was a little surprised when I got Shikamaru to giggle at me and say, "nee-chan!". Shikamaru, as expected, was a very lazy baby.

I think he's been a little jealous of me since then.

"Natsumi is _not_ a minx," I pouted at him. Being cute towards adults always worked, even when they knew I was faking. I am ten years old, but I've been told many times that I still look six.

"Yeah, yeah, you're a fairy or _somethin'_ , making Shikamaru laugh." he sighed and leaned against a tree, looking at Fugaku, who seemed to be giving his boys a prep talk. "Make it quick, you...three," he glanced behind me, and I turned around to find Satoru making puppy eyes.

"That's _gross_ ," I said childishly.

He gasped, pretending to be offended. "So is your _face!_ "

I rolled my eyes playfully and grabbed his sleeve and pulled him to the ground, latching myself onto his back. "Lift me up to the horsey!"

Satoru said nothing, probably trying not to curse me out in front of the adults, and wrapped his arms under my legs and did as I told him.

"Watch those hands, young man!" Inoichi said sassily from behind us.

"Sh-shut up, old man!" Satoru yelled back. I blinked in surprise, then pulled his hair lightly. "I didn't know you were close enough to tou-chan to call him 'old man'."

We reached the horse, and I cautiously reached out to stroke its side. He sighed. "I'm not, I just don't respect anybody."

I started rubbing its neck rhythmically, and it eased a little bit and turned its head toward me, scanning us. It neighed and stamped the ground with one hoof, seemingly a little confused.

"...We've merged," Satoru told it. He bounced me on his back once.

It whinnied.

I slowly traveled my hand towards its face, and it didn't back away. I giggled. "Whoaaaa…"

"Natsumi!" Fugaku barked. "We need to get going!"

His loud voice startled the beautiful silver mare and she reared once before calming down, but she didn't seem up for any more socializing. I sighed and kicked my legs a little, signaling for Satoru to let me down. "You very no fun."

"Are you five? Speak properly and show some respect. Get in the coach," Fugaku replied more gently this time and turned away to the one farther from where we were. His little minions followed him immediately, along with Kakashi.

 _Are we too social for him?_

"Bye-bye, horsey...uh, Bolt." I ran my hand along what I could reach of her beautiful coat before turning to Satoru. "Bye-bye, Satoru."

He wiped a fake tear from his eye. "Come back alive, my child…" He thrust a surprising big bag into my hand. It was rather light for it to be weaponry.

"Alright, she's _my_ child," Inoichi suddenly picked me up and placed me in the coach, leaving them out of my sight. "Don't harass Sana too much, Satoru...she might break your heart for _real_ this time. And don't give my wife or Ino too much trouble. You're the man of the clan while I'm gone...better not mess this up!"

 _When did Satoru join my family again?_

"Yes sir!' I heard Satoru agree cheerfully before running off. Inoichi joined Shikaku in the front and we started moving, prompting me to turn around—

—to come face-to-face with a curious Inuzuka Hana.

I froze.

She sniffed me.

Her dogs barked in unison.

She leaned away and sat down on one side of the room. _I guess she approves of my scent._ "You smell nice, like mochi. Do you have any on you?"

I suddenly remembered the bag Satoru gave me and I sat down across from Hana, untying it to find a large box. With the others watching in anticipation, I lifted the lid and found a dozen slightly steaming mochi buns sitting in front of me. Upon further inspection, there was another identical dozen underneath a sheet of...waxy paper? That separated them. Each one was the size of my little fist.

"Aahh!" Hana moaned. "Daifuku... _ichigo_ daifuku...sakuramochi...even matcha flavored!" Her eyes began sparkling and she gripped my hands tightly. "I can smell your mama on this...let's be great friends!"

A little relieved the tension was gone, I smiled and nodded. "O-okay...Natsumi."

"Hana! Now let's eat!" She immediately grabbed a matcha flavored bun and shoved it into her mouth, face immediately morphing into one of pure bliss. "Aahh! So good!"

I heard a whimper at my feet and saw her dogs making the _cutest_ puppy eyes ever, almost luring me into letting them have the whole box.

"Uh...are the dogs allowed to eat?" I asked while daintily nibbling on an ichigo daifuku as my mother taught me.

"Normally, yes," she said through a mouth full of sakuramochi, "but they've been bad puppies lately, and they're also on a diet. So try to ignore the puppy eyes."

"Will they be punished if fed extra?" I implored for a compromise.

She looked at me with dull, haunting eyes. "If we feed them _today,_ mama'll smell it in them a _month_ later. I ain't tryin' anymore, and I'm warning you as a friend that _you_ shouldn't either."

I felt a little happier at the word _friend,_ and I did my best to ignore her ninkens' whimpers and pawing at me.

When I finally finished my ichigo daifuku, Hana had already finished the eleven other mochi buns on the paper. I slowly looked up at her, and she gazed back sheepishly. "Um...sorry?"

I huffed. "You can't have any more! We have to share with the...um... _six_ others!"

"Eh?!" Hana leaped at me and tried to steal the mochi, but I held it out of her reach despite being shorter than her and closed the lid. "You can't."

She crouched and began making puppy eyes along with her dogs.

* * *

"Here!" Hana thrust a mostly empty box of mochi at the Uchihas and Kakashi, her dogs right at her heels and making a good impression with Kakashi.

Itachi didn't hesitate to take one, but Fugaku and Shisui were a bit more hesitant. "Where did these come from?" Fugaku looked at Hana skeptically. She felt her eye twitch at the rude man.

" _Natsu-chan's_ mama made them!" she exclaimed. "And they're very good!"

"I'll say," Itachi piped up, licking his fingers and stealing another one. Shisui and Kakashi took one as well, leaving three.

"Well, why didn't Natsumi deliver it herself?" The clan leader asked one last question.

Hana, not knowing that Natsumi was well acquainted with the Uchihas, huffed. "Natsumi's a nice girl, okay?! She's just intimidated by you guys!" she made a big show of looking Kakashi up and down, scrunching up her face at him.

He sent her an eye smile from his spot on the ground next to her dogs. He quickly stole another one, and Shisui and Fugaku took the last two.

"Well, tell her thanks, I guess," Fugaku decided to say after tasting the heavenly mochi. _I'll have to visit Airi sometime. Mikoto would never make something like this for me :(_

Hana grinned at them all. "Try not to be mean to Natsu-chan! See you later!" She skipped back to where Natsumi was, with the silver horse. Her dogs licked Kakashi goodbye and left him as well.

But what Hana said stuck with Shisui, and it didn't stick too well.

 _I didn't think I was being so mean...I was just trying to protect her. Is she avoiding me now?_

He gazed longingly at the object of his affections from afar, her bright smile casting both light and shadow on his heart.

* * *

 **Do you ever just like actually want to die but spicy memes kept you alive**


	8. Lotto

_Age 10_

Kirigakure no Sato.

The village hidden in the mist.

Mist was, to me, always associated with _mystery, mystifying, eerie._

This village in particular had the nickname of 'the village hidden in the _bloody_ mist'.

A village shrouded by red mist came to mind; with tall silhouettes bearing arms inside and the distinct scent of the iron that could only be found from blood.

I was, in short, terrified to arrive at the village.

On the contrary, it was a sunny day and when we arrived, there was no mist to be seen (on the side the farthest away from the shore). People walked by, shinobi and civilian alike, minding their own business and not visibly armed.

Aside from the lack of children running around and laughter, the atmosphere matched Konoha's and I was immediately put at ease.

There was no hostile air around, which actually made me more suspicious. _A place with such a notorious reputation couldn't possibly be so unguarded…_

However, the jonin seemed to want to play along and left us, the kids, to wander around on our own. _They wouldn't do anything to visitors,_ they must've been thinking. _And they're only children, here for their chunin exams. Konoha could press lots of charges for even injuring the kids._

I guessed they were part right. The adults disappeared quickly after announcing a meeting place and time, and Itachi and Shisui followed quickly after, leaving Hana and I alone.

"Ne, ne, Natsu-chan!" she chirped, jumping around energetically. "Let's explore somewhere~!"

I was about to protest, but her still immature ninken had already run off barking loudly, and Hana chased after them.

I was quick to notice that we drew a lot of negative, unwanted attention, and quickly removed my forehead protector before chasing after them.

* * *

The pups took a long time to find what they were looking for, most likely since their senses of smell weren't fully developed and this was a completely new, foreign environment to them. However, as soon as I was...maybe a meter, from Hana and her ninken...they'd already slipped inside the building.

"Hana!" I called, drawing some attention to myself _(shameshameshame)_ , but she was either already too deep in to hear me or was ignoring me in favor of the excitement she earned from the building.

I, however, didn't chase her this time. I was winded from running more than I usually did (I really needed to train my cardio more), and I was slightly annoyed from chasing them so far. I stepped back and observed the grand structure.

It was huge (compared to the other poor-looking buildings)—at least six to eight meters tall. The windows were decorated in big waves and swirls of gold and silver, covered tastefully by red silk curtains. The double doors were grand as the building, a meter tall and well built with smooth, brown wood.

Not willing to risk it with the John Cenas at the front door, I went around to the back door: this one looked like they pulled it off a thousand-year-old shack and stuck it to the wall.

I pulled it open with the rusty doorknob and was hit with a wave of delicious smells, sounds of tinkering glasses, and laughter.

It alarmed me—what happened to the grim district I had just stepped from? I turned around and saw a few adults sizing me up in the dark streets. It occurred to me that blond hair and blue eyes weren't common in Kiri.

One of the shady men started to approach me, so I quickly jumped into the building and slammed the door shut behind me, hoping he wouldn't step in. I rushed out of the way of the servants and waiters in the tiny, cramped, hot kitchen and put my back to a wall, flaring my chakra to sense the suspicious figure.

The man paused at the door, but didn't seem to care much and shrugged before walking away casually.

Must be _boatloads_ (ha get it boats) of other defenseless children to kidnap in Kiri.

I gave a small sigh in relief turned around, blinking in surprise at the beautiful hall in front of me.

I was in a wide and tall room covered in beautifully colored bronze wallpaper, with glass chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, shedding white light across the room.

Looked like a fancy restaurant.

Suddenly, as I was admiring the structure, a loud shriek sounded from the other side of the room that soundly disturbingly like Hana, then a few barks, loud thumps, and whimpers.

 _Hana!_

I rushed towards the sound and slipped in between the crowd to see what was going on.

A well-built man in a fancy kimono was holding Hana by her collar and grinning in amusement. "I was wondering who was stealing my sashimi...it's a little _dog_ from the Leaf!" His groupies guffawed. The man grinned wider and continued. "I thought only cats eat fish. Why is a mutt like you stealing my top-of-the-line salmon?"

Hana swallowed what she had been chewing and spit on his face. "Let me go, old man!"

He raised an orange brow. "Hmm? Is the little Konoha dog barking at me?"

His groupies sat down on all fours on the pristine floor and started barking obnoxiously, but nobody even glanced in our direction, signaling that this was a normal occurrence.

I looked around, desperately trying to find an adult who'd be willing to help, but the men were all either playing pool, dealing cards, or occupied with the curvy, skimpily dressed women who were all over them.

Maybe the back of a bloody _casino_ was always like this.

I had to step up…

...But I was frozen in place.

What happened to the hero I wanted to be?

This would've never happened if I hadn't been here...Shisui wouldn't have been eager to get away from me, Itachi wouldn't have followed, and if they had, Hana wouldn't have been left to her own devices since the adults didn't trust her in this place: they trusted me.

 _I_ was supposed to keep her in line.

And _that_ turned out well didn't it.

I suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline and stepped up to the men. "Back up."

The men on the floor kept barking and didn't move, refusing to acknowledge the tiny presence that stood before them.

"Eh? The little dog has a friend, huh?" The threatening man switched his hold from her collar to her throat, and Hana started flailing and choking, unable to speak. She tried kicking him, but missed, and her face was turning red. Her ninken were being restrained by a few of his groupies.

"She _said_ ," I forced a wave of painful chakra into the men's minds, "Let _go_!"

The men flew backwards with loud yells and a pulse of chakra. The ninken fell out of their arms and onto the floor, quickly shaking off their confusion and attacking the feet of the man who was threatening their master's life. However, he was unfazed, but loosened his grip on her throat to talk to me.

"Oh? The little one has power," he said, feigning surprise. He seemed fully aware of the large crowd we'd gathered and seemed to be enjoying every moment of it. "Listen here, musume, your _mongrel_ of a friend here—" he shook her a little— "was stealing my food that _I_ paid for. This casino tolerates no thieves nor do we tolerate beggars...and I thought the Leaf was at least a _respectful_ village."

It was incredibly difficult to force my way into this man's mind...why?

And why was he so familiar?

"Step aside before you get hurt," I growled, surrounding my hands with my familiar purple chakra. The crowd oohed and ahhed, cheering us on. _"Fight! Fight! Fight!"_

Hana saw her chance when the long-haired man was distracted and hooked her leg around his arm, bending it, and bit his bicep hard.

Even with her sharp Inuzuka teeth, he didn't flinch and simply flung her off as if she were a pesky fly. "Tch...lowly dog…"

A beautiful woman in a sultry bunny suit strutted out of the crowd and latched onto the man's arm, smiling overly-sweetly. "I have an idea...we can let them off if they win a game against you, Fuguki-sama! If not, we can do whatever we want with them."

I cocked my head, giving her a cute, childish smile. "And who might _you_ be?"

She knelt down to my height. "I'm _Fuguki-sama's_ lady, little lady! My name is Aiko. Isn't it a pretty name?"

Someone behind her called out _his lady for the night!_ which garnered lots of laughter and whistling. Aiko scowled at them before smiling at me again.

This 'Aiko' had big, tight black curls adorning her round face and evil brown slits for eyes, but she had full lips, a full chest, and a full... _bottom._

It was _very_ full.

"...Certainly suits your pretty face," I finished the sentence she wanted me to. She giggled and hugged me. "I like you already, musume-chan? And what might your name be?"

"...Natsumi." I had begun to calm down. "Her name is Natsumi!" I put on a cute face and I heard a few more coos before all the—I now recognized them as _geishas_ —surrounded me and started playing with me.

I had won the hearts of all the women, who would relay it to their men.

Hopefully that gave me even just a tiny advantage if the 'game' they suggested got ugly.

* * *

"Let's play a simple game of Blackjack, or 21, or whatever you wanna call it," Fuguki announced. "There is no need for chips as this is a round for our lives."

Aiko expertly shuffled the cards quickly...I suppose as a geisha in a casino, that was a necessary skill.

When she dealt our cards, Fuguki gave a condescending smile. "Ladies first~!" He looked to Aiko for approval and she smiled at him. He gave a pig smile back. He then proceeded to swipe his cards, so I did the same.

I looked at my two cards. _Jack and King._ What luck.

Hana whispered loudly, "So we have a-"

I shoved her off the chair, effectively cutting her off. Her ninken rushed to her, licking her face and whimpering. I ignored her in favor of saving her life. "Hit."

I was dealt another card. An ace. _Ooh dat roast_

"I have 21!" I threw down my three cards.

Fuguki grinned. "Child, you are not familiar-"

But all the women cut him off and rushed to congratulate me. "You're a natural, Natsumi-chan!" They gushed loudly, rubbing our faces together. "Go on now, sweetie; run on home!"

* * *

"...You two are severely late," Shikaku pointed out.

"Acute observation," I responded dryly, looking right into his confused gaze. I guess I'd never really showed attitude or spoken sarcastically to elders before.

Inoichi was openly worried. "Natsu, is something wrong?" He knelt down to meet my gaze. Was I really that short?

I shrugged and leaned my tired body on Hana's, and she shifted some of her weight onto me as well. "We're tired from exploring," Hana responded for me. Her ninken weren't too keen on sticking to her anymore; probably because of all the foreign, fishy stenches that must be clinging to her.

Well, she wasn't _entirely_ lying; we'd explored much of the akasen trying to find our way back to the main street. Hana herself was too tired to scent out way back, and her puppies were too confused by all the liquor, foreign seafood, and makeup to really even stand straight.

They seemed to have been well spoiled...trained more like pets than fighting partners. That'd need to change soon.

Fugaku seemed to accept her excuse and waved his boys in the hotel. Shisui didn't glance in our direction, but Itachi gave me a worried glance before following suit.

There was a short silence before Shikaku sighed. "Troublesome...they don't wanna talk. We'll deal with this later." He threw a heavy arm around his best friend's shoulders and pulled him by his neck into the hotel.

I watched them go in before getting on my feet and pulling Hana along by the wrist, her dogs following at a close distance. "You can shower first."

A pause, then a quiet "thank you".

For the gamble, or for the shower?

I figure it's a 'lil bit of both.

We followed after the adults who dropped us off at our shared room.

The hotel was very luxurious, and it seemed other genin were in the building.

Maybe that's why the building was so luxurious—to lure us into a false sense of security.

…

All hostility aside, they had hot, running water.

Not bad for such an infamous village.

* * *

"Natsumi."

He replayed the events that had happened at the casino in his mind.

"Yagura..." He stroked his puppet's hair. "We need to have her. Natsumi. Blond hair and blue eyes, Konoha, chunin exams. Hanging around a brunette Inuzuka with three ninken. But ignore the dogs and the mutt herself; get Natsumi."

Yagura repeated what he said in a daze. "Natsumi, blond hair, blue eyes, Konoha, chunin exams. With Inuzuka and her three ninken. Ignore mutts, capture Natsumi."

The masked man nodded. "With that skill, she's probably a Yamanaka. Mind-reading; even better. We...I _have_ to have her."

"Have to have her...have to have her..."

"Ah, Yagura..." The masked man hummed in excitement for the first time in a long time. "I think...no, I'm _positively_ sure...

I just hit the lotto."


End file.
